“For now. But, I still find Kate’s reaction to the whole wolf thing out of place.” Damon shrugged. “I mean, when Ava saw me shift, she did at least scream.”
“Did she try to run away?”
Damon scratched his whiskered chin. “She tried, but I didn’t let her.”
“So maybe it’s just you that women run away from.” Braxton smirked.
Damon grinned wickedly. “Maybe, but at least I got one to stick.”
***
The phone rang, jolting Kate out of a deep sleep. Since Damon’s arrival, he and Braxton stayed up late, discussing the situation with the Assassins. Exhausted, Kate had given up playing hostess and gone to bed.
She blinked back the cobwebs in her sleepy brain and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“It’s Beau. Glad to see your phone is fixed.”
Kate eyed the alarm clock. Six o’clock. He had never called her before seven in the morning. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not. Something’s happened.”
“What?” She sat up in bed, fully alert.
“Someone discovered a dead body.”
A wave of nausea enveloped her. “Where? Who was it?”
“It was a construction worker on Oliver Bigsby’s crew. They found him dead at the construction site.” Bigsby had broken ground to erect his next eyesore of a hotel on an area just on the outskirts of town. The more hotels he built meant less business for the B&Bs in town.
“That’s horrible. How did he die?” Please don’t say he was bitten by a wolf. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
“He was shot through the eye with a nail gun. Death by nail gun doesn’t exactly fall under the accident category.”
Her blood turned to ice in her veins. With a trembling hand, she pulled the quilt up to her chin in a feeble attempt to ward off the shivers racking her body.
“Kate, you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“I know it’s none of my business, and I don’t need you to remind me that you’re a grown-ass woman, but I can’t help but think this has something to do with your houseguest.”
“Which one?” She cringed. Though Braxton had not been out of her sight since he arrived, Damon, on the other hand, was another story. She didn’t know where he was half the time.
He snorted. “The house guest that happens to be a wolf.”
“Again, which one?”
“Christ, Kate. Please don’t tell me there’s another Were staying in your house.”
“Okay. I won’t.” She slunk back into the covers as unease slunk into her stomach.
“I knew I should have kicked his ass out the minute I saw him. I should have known he’d bring more Weres around.” She held the phone away from her ear at his acrid words. “I should have listened to my gut.”
She shook her head as her shoulders slumped. “Whoever killed that guy wasn’t one of my Weres. That I know.” She hoped her voice held more conviction than her gut. She wasn’t exactly the best judge of character. The last guy she trusted was her ex. Look where that had gotten her. On the brink of foreclosure and one step away from being homeless.
God, she was a mess.
She cleared her throat. “Thanks for the update. Somehow I feel like if a werewolf were going to kill someone, they would have done it without the use of a nail gun.”
The line went silent for a beat. “Maybe you’re right. They usually rip the victims’ throats out. Doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like the idea of you putting yourself in the middle of whatever shit Braxton has found himself in.”
She smiled a tiny smile. If he really thought Braxton was capable of murder, Beau would have thrown him out on his ass the minute Braxton had confided in them.
“Please tell me the new Were in your house is not wanted for a crime.”
“He’s not. He’s actually some kind of Arkansas soldier.”
“A Guardian?” She didn’t miss the surprise in his voice.
“Yeah. Someone named Barrett ordered him to find Braxton and make sure he stays alive until there is a Tribunal. Do you know Barrett?”
“I’ve never actually met him. He’s the ruling Pack Master over Arkansas, and from his reputation, very lethal. Anyone that crosses him ends up on the losing end.”
“I’m not sure if I should feel safe or scared.” Kate tugged on her lower lip.
“Probably a little of both. How’s the patient doing by the way?”
“Great.” More than great. He was totally fine, hot, and gorgeous. She licked her dry lips. “His wound has healed up nicely.”
“It will take some time to get the silver completely out of his system. He was damn lucky it didn’t hit his heart. Otherwise he’d be dead.”
Kate shivered at the image of Braxton’s lifeless body on the side of the highway.
“What are your plans for the day?”
“I’ve got to go back into town. The bank president called and wanted to talk about my loan. I’m hoping it’s good news and not an eviction notice.”
“Alright, honey. Good luck. And Kate?”
“Yeah?”
“Call me if you need me.”
“I always do.”